The start of NBA All-Star Weekend is always an exciting time filled with celebrity appearances and dazzling skills on the court. But on Thursday, the only superstars were the ones at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago as NBA legends such as Horace Grant, Dikembe Mutombo and others spent quality time with youth patients. It was a day filled with laughter and cheer as parents and patients got to see the community nature of the NBA.

Photo at top: NBA Legend Dikembe Mutombo plays the drum at the Family Life Center at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. (Evan Brooks/MEDILL)